There are many various forms of smokeless tobacco for oral use. Such forms include chewing tobacco and snuff. Snuff is available in two forms, as dry snuff for oral or nasal use and moist (or wet) snuff for oral use. There are two types of moist snuff, the American and the Scandinavian type. American-type moist snuff is available in a loose form or as pre-packed pouches and is typically used between the lower gum and lip. Snus is the Scandinavian-type of moist snuff which is also available in loose form or as pre-packed portions in pouches. Snus is typically used between the upper gum and lip.
Oral smokeless non-tobacco snuff products are products, which do not contain tobacco, resembling oral smokeless tobacco snuff products and are used in the same way as oral smokeless tobacco snuff products.
Oral smokeless tobacco snuff or non-tobacco moist snuff products, such as snus, usually comprise 30 to 60 weight-% moisture. These products require refrigeration until use in order to prevent, for example, degeneration of flavour and aroma and pH instability. Therefore, their shelf life is rather limited. Moreover, a particular problem of snuff products with high moisture content is moisture migration during storage causing spotting of the pouch paper and as a consequence discoloration of the same.
There are dryer snuff products available on the market with a moisture content of about between 30 to 20 weight-%. The organoleptic properties of these semi-dry products, such as mouth feel and texture are usually inferior to those of oral smokeless tobacco moist snuff or non-tobacco moist snuff products with high moisture content. In addition, if not refrigerated during storage, their properties such as pH stability are affected and consequently, their shelf life is affected too, though to a lesser extent than products with higher moisture content.
Hence, there exists a need for oral smokeless tobacco snuff or non-tobacco snuff products that fulfil special demands such as, for example, longer shelf life, improved pH stability, while desired organoleptic properties are preserved.